In the News
In the garden
We got our tax returns in early this year, so April 15 is just another gorgeous spring day. Cloudcover actually creates a soft, even light that is conducive to macro photography. Morning images today include: raindrops taking up temporary residence on the leaves of a climbing hydrangea; a tiny snail clinging to the edge of […]
San Juan Airlines party
San Juan Airlines hosted a Chamber of Commerce “after hours” event Thursday evening, and most who attended were treated to an exciting flight from Anacortes to Bayview and back. The event was held at San Juan’s neighbor’s … Micro Aero Dynamics, where a hangar door was opened to let in the spring sun. Among those […]
Red Cross Real Heroes
Northern Lights Casino was the location of this year’s Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast, an event that doubles as fund-raiser and opportunity to acknowledge outstanding community contributions. In the first photo, Barb Ringhouse praises the work of Island Hospital volunteer Ho Taylor, recipient of the Community Volunteer award. In the second photo, Real Heroes award […]
Anacortes Quilt Show
Dozens of beautiful quilts drew impressive crowds Friday and Saturday at the annual Anacortes Quilt Show, a Skagit Valley Tulip Festival event. Among those I recognized were harpist Bronn Journey (see www.bronnjourney.com) Fidalgo Island Quilters member Ginger Houston and basketweaver Jane Hyde. The quilters’ group, with more than 200 members, uses funds from the annual […]
Rhododendron splendor
I returned from a couple of days of camping to discover several of our rhododendrons had exploded into color. My garden boss wisely elected to place rhodies of different colors and blooming times at various places in the yard, a ploy that seems to extend the blossom season.
Morning stroll
We spent our first weekend camping, and while my son caught up on his beauty sleep, I grabbed my camera and went for a stroll. Photo opportunities abound at Washington Park. I found small, shiny leaves pushing up from the moist earth not too far from the trail to the restroom. There were seagull buddies […]
Experience Music Project
Any modern music fan’s gotta love the Experience Music Project (EMP) in downtown Seattle. But as you can see from these photographs of the amazing sculpture/edifice, you don’t even have to get inside to have a memorable experience. The first three photos I took are shots of the “skin” of the building, the fourth is […]
Off-island adventures
Fantastic as it is, I do leave Fidalgo Island from time to time on little adventures. Two years ago this week I took a drive to LaConner and Best Road, where I encountered beautiful snow geese. LaConner is also home to the Skagit County Museum, where a vintage windmill stands adjacent to the parking lot. […]
Splashes of color
When I was a young pup I was privileged to be introduced to Dorothy Neil, a Mount Vernon native who married and raised her family in Oak Harbor. Dorothy wrote a newspaper column and referred often to her “garden friend,” who was actually her husband. Mel didn’t relish the thought of seeing his name in […]
Waterfront Festival kickoff
It was a full house Thursday night for the official unveiling of the 2004 Anacortes Waterfront Festival poster. In addition to introduction of poster artist Jennifer Bowman (pictured to the right of poster), Chamber of Commerce Event Coordinator Beth Prins displayed a T-shirt design featuring elements of the Bowman watercolor. Dignitaries included Mayor Dean Maxwell, […]
Vikings visit Bowman Bay
History shows the Vikings made it to the East Coast of North America a few hundred years ago. It took them until Sunday, March 21 to hit the beach at Bowman Bay in Deception Pass State Park. A couple of dozen Whatcom County residents in period costume descended on the park over the weekend in […]
Viking boat
Bowman Bay “went Hollywood” Sunday as a film crew from the Discovery Channel gathered with area “stars” to film part of a documentary on Viking boats. Local blacksmith and artist Paul Thorne was on hand, as was boat builder Jay Smith. Smith built a 21-foot Faering boat … an 850 A.D. era vessel that would […]